Positioning structure for revolver holsters



June 9, 1953 B. ENGLE 2,641,395

POSITIONING STRUCTURE FOR REVOLVER HOLSTERS Filed July 9. 1951 I I INVENTOR. Byron Eng/e 60 Arm/w 4 Patented June 9, 1953 POSITIONING STRUCTURE FOR HOLSTERS REVOLVER Byron Engle, Washington, D. 0.

Application July 9, 1951, Serial No. 235,815

This invention relates to structure for carrying pistols and has for its primary object to provide a holster assembly of the swingable type that improves upon the invention set forth in my U. S. Letters Patent, No. 2,410,640, dated November 5, 1946.

As fully and clearly set forth in my patent, conventional holsters are normally mounted on a waist encircling belt in such rigid fashion that the holster and pistol therewithin, interferes with the comfort of the user, particularly when sitting and more so during riding in automobiles. There is provided therein a belt-receiving support that in turn pivotally mounts a hollow body for receiving the pistol and there being releasable elements for holding the holster in two angularly disposed positions. In the normal position however, the holster is free to swing on its pivotal axis.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide mechanism interconnecting the holster and its belt-receiving support for positively holding the holster against swinging movement when in the normal position suspended from its support, the mechanism being releasable for permitting swinging movement of the holster to angled positions as desired.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a swingable holster assembly releasably held in a normal position through lockingmechanism and capable through the inherent weight of the pistol-receiving body and the pistol therein of automatically swinging to a normal locked position when the user rises from a sitting position or otherwise removes any restraint to such gravitational movement.

A further object of this invention is to provide a holster assembly that may be positioned as desired and including manually operable parts'having structure for temporarily holding the same in an unlocked position after initial actuation thereof so that the operator need not maintain the manual release in a given position while the holster is being shifted to desired positions.

Many more minor objects include details of construction, all of which will be made clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of position structure for revolver holsters illustrating the pistolreceiving body in two of its positions.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the housing or body portion of the structure with the back plate thereof entirely removed and showing operating mechanismtherein contained.

7' Claims. (Cl. 224-2) Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating differing positions of the lock and latchas sembly.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view showing the inner face of the aforesaid'back plate of thehousing shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig; 5' is a perspective View of the latch and the pawl forming a part of the operating mechanism normally within the hollow housing.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 2;-and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sec-- tional view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 2.

The pistol-receiving body chosen for illustration of the positioning structure hereof, is broadly designated by the numeral II] in the drawing and:

its particular construction is of no significance to the present invention and may be made similar tothat shown in my patent above identified The holster body I0 is provided with a releas able strap l 2 for holding the pistol in place therewithin as is quite conventional. A support H for the body It is preferably identical with that shown in my patent aforementioned and is adapted to receive a belt, both the support I i and the body l0 being normally made from leather'or' other suitable material. Holster body It! and the belt-receiving support [4 are'pivotally interconnected through the medium of a pin or stub shaft l8, that is rigidly secured at one end thereof to a small fiat plate 20 joined directly to the body I ll at the uppermost end thereof through suitable fastening elements 22. w

A hollow housing or body, broadly designated by the numeral 24, is provided with a back plate 26 secured directly to the support H by suitable An elongated pawl 34 secured directly and rigidly to the shaft I8 is disposed within the hollow housing 24 and has a small head 38 on the outermost-free end thereof remote from the shaft it. A segmental locking arm 38- for the pawl 34 for releasably holding the latter against swinging movement relative to the housing 24 is provided with a notch- 40 intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to receive the free end of the pawl "34 3 in the manner illustrated by full lines in Fi 2 of the drawing when the lock 38 is in an operative position, at which time the body I depends downwardly from the support 14 between the two positions illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The lock arm 38 within the housing 24 is pivotally secured to the panel 32 thereof as at 42, and is in turn pivotally secured at one end thereof as at 44 to a, manually operable reciprocable plunger 46, slidably carried by a tubular guide 48 secured to the panel 32 by fastening means 50 and held rigidly clamped in place between the panels 26 and 32. I

A flat, polygonal latch plate 52 of resilient material, disposed within the housing 24 between panel 32 and pawl 34, is secured to the former at its uppermost edge only by a number of fastening elements 54. The latch plate 52 is biased toward the pawl 34 and the lock 38 and is provided with a small head 56 on the lowermost free end thereof. A pair of opposed, spaced ears 58 are struck from the resilient plate 52 within the path of travel of the pawl 34, ears 58 extending outwardly from one face of the plate 52 toward the pawl 34. The lock arm 38 is held biased toward the pawl 34 by a spring 60 within the housing 24 and secured to the inner face of panel 26 thereof.

A pair of spring members 62 normally bear against a fiat edge 64 forming a part of the pawl 34 and disposed oppositely to the head 36 and an elongated spring 66 overlies the springs 62, all as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The springs 62 and 66 are held in place by two pairs of spaced pins 68 on the inner face of the back panel 26.

In operation, when the holster body I0 is in a normal position, it depends downwardly from the support I4 substantially on a vertical line, and when in such condition, the pawl 34 is disposed at its lowermost end between the ears 58 and within the notch 40 of the lock 38 as shown by full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing and the head 56 of the latch plate 52 bears against the lock arm 38. When it is desired to swing the pistol body II] to either of the two positions illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, the plunger 46 is pushed inwardly as shown by full lines in Fig. 3 and bydotted lines in Fig. 2, to swing the lock arm 38 on pivot 42 and thereby release the pawl 34 for swinging movement within the body 24 and relative thereto. When the plunger 46 is moved to the innermost end of its path of travel, lock arm 38 is thereby swung to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, whereupon head 56 of latch plate 52 moves into the notch 43. The operator may thereupon release the plunger 46 and swin the holster ID as desired, since the the resilient latch plate 52 to a position where head 56 thereof is moved out of notch 40 and the latch 38 permitted to swing toward the pawl 34 under influence of spring 60. The extent of such swinging movement of the latch arm 38 is limited by the inner edge of arm 38 coming into contact with the proximal end of pawl 34. Holster l0 and the pawl 34 may thereupon beswung to the dotted line position of pawl 34 shown in Fig. 3 and the plunger 46 will move to the full line position shown in Fig. 2 and the dottedline position of Fig. 3, until it reaches the outermost end of its path of travel. As soon as the holster I0 is returned to its normal position, the pawl 34 will return to its position between the ears 58 as shown in Fig. 5 and by virtue of the action of spring 60, pawl'34 will be'received by notch 40.

The operation is' precisely the same irrespective of the direction of swinging movement of the holster l0 and it is seen further that the normal position will be assumed by a snap action because of the fact that the flat edge 64 of pawl 34 is received by the springs 62 when the pawl 34 is in' the vertical position shown in Fig. 4.

In summary therefore, it is seen that the user need only push the plunger 46 inwardly to the innermost end of its path of travel whereupon the latch plate 52 operates to permit release of the plunger 46 and swinging movement of the holster I0. Furthermore, as soon as the holster I8 is released or permitted to gravitate to its normal center of gravity position, the pawl 34 will automatically snap into place by virtue of the action of springs 62 and be received by notch 40 through the action of spring 66.

Having thus described the invention what is, claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistol-- receiving holster; a belt-receiving support for theholster; and. positioningstructure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure comprising a body secured to said support; means on the holster for rotatably mounting the same on the body; lock means on the body movable toand from a position engaging a portion of said' mounting means for holding the holster against swinging relative to the support; and latch means yieldably biased toward a position engaging saidlock means when the latter is moved to a position releasing the mounting means whereby to automatically hold the lock means released.

2. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistol? receiving holster; a belt-receiving support for the, holster; and positioning structure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure com prising a body secured to said support; means on the holster for rotatably mounting the-same on the body; means on the body movable to and from a position engaging a portion of said mounting means for holding the holster against swinging relative to the support; and means on the body and engaging said portion of the mounting means tending to yieldably maintain the latter in any one of a numberoi. selected positions relative to the body.

3. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistolreceiving holster; a belt-receiving support for the holster; and positioning structure interconnecting; said holster and said support, said structure com-H prising a body secured to said support; a shaft; rigidly mounted on the holster and rotatably secured to the body; an elongated, radial extension mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith; and a lock normally engaging said extension for holding the holster against swinging movement relative to the support, said lock being pivotally carried by the body for swinging movement to: and from a position out of engagement with said. extension on an axis disposed in spaced parap lel sm with the axis of rotation of said shaft.

4 1p a, pistol -carrying assembly, a pistol-r receiving holster; a beltereceiving support for th holster; and positioning structure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure comprising a body secured to said support; a shaft rigidly mounted on the holster and rotatably secured to the body; an elongated, radial extension mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith; a lock normally engaging said extension for holding the holster against swinging movement relative to the support, said lock being pivotally carried by the body for swinging movement to and from a position out of engagement with said extension on an axis disposed in spaced parallelism with the axis of rotation of said shaft; and resilient means on the body engaging the lock for holding the same yieldably biased against said extension.

5. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistolreceiving holster; a belt-receiving support for the holster; and positioning structure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure comprising a body secured to said support; a shaft rigidly mounted on the holster and rotatably secured to the body; an elongated, radial extension mounted on said shaft for rotation therewith; a lock normally engaging said extension for holding the holster against swinging movement relative to the support, said lock being pivotally carried by the body for swinging movement to and from a position out of engagement with said extension on an axis disposed in spaced parallelism with the axis of rotation of said shaft; and latch means carried by the body and shiftable to and from a position engaging said look when the latter is out of engagement with said shaft portion for holding the lock against movement toward the shaft portion.

6. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistolreceiving holster; a belt-receiving support for the holster; and positioning structure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure comprising a body secured to said support; a shaft on I the holster and rotatably secured to the body, said shaft having a portion mounted thereon for swinging movement as the shaft is rotated; a lock normally engaging said portion of the shaft for holding the holster against swinging movement relative to the support, said lock being carried by the body for movement to and from a position out of engagement with said portion of the shaft; latch means carried by the body and shiftable to and from a position engaging said look when the latter is out of engagement with said shaft portion for holding the lock against movement toward said portion of the shaft; and parts on said latch means disposed within the path of travel of said portion of the shaft for engagement by the shaft portion as the latter is swung whereby to shift the latch means out of engagement with said portion of the shaft.

'7. In a pistol carrying assembly, a pistolreceiving-holster; a belt-receiving support for the holster; and positioning structure interconnecting said holster and said support, said structure comprising a body secured to said support; a shaft on the holster and rotatably secured to the body; a lateral extension on said shaft; a lock member swingably secured to the body and engageable with said extension for holding the latter against swinging movement; a resilient latch element on the body and biased to a position within the path of travel of the lock member for holding the same against swinging toward the extension when out of engagement therewith; means on the latch member within the path of travel of the extension and engageable thereby for releasing the latch element for movement of the lock member toward the extension; and means on the body and engageable with the lock member for yieldably holding the latter biased toward the extension.

BYRON ENGLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 197,622 Ferguson Nov. 27, 1877 1,299,658 Barrs Apr. 8, 1919 2,410,640 Engle Nov. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,132 Great Britain July 23, 1912 

